Stars Above

Spending time with Eris Halla

A single word was still more than zero. Progress had been made!

Turning his gaze over to his phone, his face morphed with curiosity as he turned his gaze back to Eris, then to Mesprit, before tilting a brow.

"Do you mean like... Hypothetically?" Because Mesprit looked fine to Doug.

As he had not witnessed the darkest day in Sootopolis for himself, he did not know about the loss of the gems... visually, that is. He had read some of the witness reports.

But that was over 21 years ago.

"Yeah, I would do everything in my power to bring her back to full health." He said with a confident nod.

Stars Above

Spending time with Eris Halla

Doug was completely lost as to what she was talking about, but upon giving Mesprit another, closer look, he finally saw the cracked stone his writer had known nothing about.

"Oh." He said simply, before gently leaning over to Eris to hand Jirachi over. "I dunno yet. Gotta first see if it's even an injury."

For all they knew, it was an external implement, like the red and blue orbs for Groudon and Kyogre.

"Awright." He said, popping open his case before springing up to his feet . "Ms. Mesprit— may I approach for a quick medical check up?"

Stars Above

Spending time with Eris Halla

"It's just a check up." Doug clarified for Mesprit's —and Eris'— sake, laughing as she tugged at his digit. "That's right, just keep doing that. Stay a little still, I just need to..."

He turned on his small flashlight, hovering it over her forehead, where the cracked gem was to be found.

Eris had asked him if he could heal Mesprit... and frankly, at first glance, he wasn't sure there was anything to heal.

The broken gem could have been biological, a type of external organ... but it could also have been an external implement the lake guardians happened to possess. He didn't know enough about them be able to tell at a glance.

But the gem was broken. Shining a light upon the where it connected with Mesprit's skin, he could see whether it was ingrained into her skin and skull by himself... as well check for any lingering injuries, scarring or necrosis left in the wake of whatever snapped it...

Hopefully.

"Let's see..."

Stars Above

Spending time with Eris Halla

"Hn. It's a very particular kind of injury." He noted with a hum, brow furrowed. "I've read up on it, but I've never treated it myself... yet."

There was a particular class of pokemon that were closer to ores than they were to flesh. Rock-types most prominently. He had treated rock-types a few rock types, but this... this more of a Grumpig or Dragonair situation.

Either way, this was a first try for him.Hhe hadn't had to deal with this back in Galar.

"Hn. I know how to go about it in theory." He said, brow furrowed as he turned off the flashlight.

Examination done.

"You've been a good patient, Ms. Mesprit." He said with a grin, reaching into his case to produce a heart shaped strawberry lolly. "You get one o' these."

Turning back to Eris, he took a seat back besides the girl once again, holding out his hands to unburden her from Jirachi.

"So you guys tried healing Mesprit, I hear?" He asked. It had been a while since the injury... he didn't think such injuries could... scar over nor anything of the sort, but Mesprit was special. Nothing was certain.

"Mind running me through what you guys tried?"

Stars Above

Spending time with Eris Halla

He hummed along as he read nurse Eris' belated medical report, doing his best to not acknowledge the sounds of cracking coming from his patient.

"I see. Heal pulse, Wish, and even Healing Wish..." He said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That's quite hefty healing in one go. Yet, none of it had any effect on the Lapidotissue..."

Pulling out a notepad, Doug scuttled closer to Eris before handing Jirachi over once again, beginning to write on his notepad.

"These are my just observations." He said as he began to write were Eris could see. "Mesprit's gematoid organ— that thing on her forehead— was subjected to numerous 'natural' healing measures, but none of it had any effect on it, despite, presumably, healing the rest of her injuries. Correct?"

"This implies to me that, despite it being part of her, her body does not have the capacity to fully restore the gem on its own." He said. "This ain't too dissimilar from humans and other pokemon— our body does not heal itself by magic —usually—, it has a number of steps it takes, but it always requires extra calories and nutrients to do so. A lack of the needed components can severely impair if not outright stop the healing process— and that's only one of the problems that could arise in such circumstances."

This wasn't a movie and Eris was a brilliant kid, so he didn't bother asking her if she was getting all this.

"Based on these observations, I'mma hypothesize that whatever the lapidotissue requires for its healing process, it's something that is not naturally generated inside Mesprit's body." He tapped his pin against lips thoughtfully. "But that does imply Mesprit —and Uxie— must've consumed something else... either that, or their bodies stopped generating the necessary nutrients at some point past their developmental phase..."

He turned his gaze over to Mesprit.

"Do you know what I'm talking about, Ms. Mesprit?"

Stars Above

Spending time with Eris Halla

"No? Huh." He would just have to ask Queen— er, PR specialist luka chêne later if he ran into her.

Mesprit offered no real answers to his query, and the young doctor did look even remotely surprised. She and Tapu Lele shared more than a color scheme, after all.

"Hmm. May I examine your gem again, Ms. Mesprit? For your sake." He said, before producing another, bigger lollipop from his case. "I've got another lolly if it'll sweeten the deal for you."

He did not look nearly remotely ashamed enough at the pun that had dared pass his lips.